House Judiciary Committee approves fraud, waste and abuse bill
Rep. Tim Briggs July 8, 2025 | 10:36 AM
HARRISBURG, July 7 – State Rep. Tim Briggs, chair of the PA House Judiciary Committee, announced today that the committee has approved H.B. 1697 along partisan lines, the Taxpayer Protection Against Fraud Act. The legislation, introduced by state Rep. Frank Burns, D-Cambria), now moves to the full House for further consideration.
“This is a commonsense, taxpayer-first bill that will finally give Pennsylvania the tools we need to crack down on fraud and recover millions in misused public funds,” Briggs said. “This legislation empowers both the Attorney General and private whistleblowers to expose fraud against the Commonwealth and hold bad actors accountable.”
Pennsylvania remains the largest state in the nation without a state-level false claims law. This legislative gap has cost the Commonwealth untold sums in unrecovered taxpayer dollars and limited its ability to fully participate in federal fraud recoveries.
Modeled after the federal False Claims Act, H.B. 1697 would allow private individuals—whistleblowers with direct knowledge of fraud—to file lawsuits on behalf of the Commonwealth. It includes strong legal protections against retaliation and incentivizes individuals to come forward by allowing them to share in any financial recovery.
The House Judiciary Committee will hold its next meeting at 10 a.m., Wednesday, July 9 in Room 60 East Wing of the state Capitol.
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CONTACT: Ryan Bevitz
House Democratic Communications Office
Phone: 717-787-7895
Email: rbevitz@pahouse.net
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